True MPG: best and worst SUVs 2017

What Car?'s True MPG tests show what you can really expect from a car. Here we reveal the most and least efficient SUVs we've ever tested

Words BySteve Huntingford

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21 Aug 2017 11:29Last updated: 21 Aug 2017 11:45

The mpg figures published in sales brochures can be one of the main reasons for choosing a particular car, but those results are often misleading. Fortunately, What Car?'s True MPG tests reveal what sort of fuel economy you can expect in the real world.

To ensure accuracy and repeatability, our tests are conducted under strictly controlled laboratory conditions but based on a real route that takes in urban, A-road and motorway driving.

Below we look at the most (and least) efficient SUVs we've tested so far.

Best real MPG SUVs

The Q2 is Audi's smallest and cheapest SUV yet, but it still has the sort of classy interior you would expect from the brand. It's great to drive, too, with composed handling and impressive refinement. And while it's safe to assume that one of the diesel versions will be more efficient than the 1.4-litre petrol we've tested, this still managed more than 45mpg.

Vauxhall's Mokka X is a popular choice in the UK, thanks to its chunky looks and long list of standard equipment. If you go for the 1.6-litre diesel model, you can add good fuel economy to its list of attributes. Unfortunately, the Mokka X is noisy and uncomfortable, with numb steering.

While the original Suzuki Vitara was a tiny, rugged 4x4, the latest version is more of a rival to city-friendly models, such as the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur. Spacious and neatly finished, it's the most efficient petrol SUV we've tested so far.